Max Verstappen placed the new 2024 Formula 1 car from Red Bull on top in Bahrain during the first morning of pre-season testing. The RB20, which was described as a more aggressive version of last year’s RB19, was closely examined during the testing session. Notable features of the RB20 included halo inlets and a redesigned sidepod. Red Bull has made changes to the inlet on the 2024 car, splitting it into two parts. Despite initial difficulties, Verstappen performed well when he switched to the mid-range C3 tyre and set the fastest time of the session. He even surpassed his own benchmark from the previous year. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was within two tenths of Verstappen’s time but ultimately finished 0.699 seconds behind. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin was the only other driver within a second of Verstappen’s time. McLaren had a slow start but Oscar Piastri managed to set the fourth-fastest time. Yuki Tsunoda and George Russell rounded out the top five. Alex Albon was the only driver to stop on track during the session. Overall, it was a productive morning with the teams completing over 500 laps.
According to the Source the-race.com